The Lamb and the Wolf in Love
by LollipopCloudsandHoneyTyphoons
Summary: Princess Suzuka, a lamb Princess, is arranged in a marriage with wolf Prince Kazuto as a symbol of unity to end the feud between their kingdoms. Both accept the marriage in order to help each other's kingdoms during an upcoming war against the tigers. But then Suzuka ends up trapped on the Wolf Kingdom's Island, giving them both a chance to develop a relationship! M for Lemons!
1. Chapter 1

**_Yay! A new fanfic! XD And it's a human/animal story! Yaaaaaaaay!_**

**_Please review! I haven't written a new fic in a while and I'm excited with this one!_**

**_Oh, and I ran out of room in the summary. I'm warning those of you who don't know me, this story will have M rated content in it that will soon lead into lemons._**

**_If you still want to read this story, though, I'll warn you guys in the future of what chaps contain lemons._**

* * *

**"W**ell, your highness, the Royal Court has come to an appropriate conclusion on how this alliance will work for higher probability on success during the war."  
"Now all we need is your approval."

"The Wolf Island King has finally accepted."  
"Alright, so, what is it you need my approval for?" I asked, looking around with a smile.

_Oh, thank goodness the Wolf King accepted... The number of troops we have are limited.. Plus, we've been wanting to end the feud between the lambs and the wolves for generations. If the Wolf king has agreed, then this must be good!_

"Come on, tell me! I'm so excited to know!" Hearing that our kingdom still had hope in forming a successful alliance, I clasped my hands together and glanced at the faces that made up the royal court. They all glanced at each other as well, some rather nervously. My stomach did a flip as I realized this was probably going to be something I wouldn't like.

My smile began to fade as I flattened my huge ears against the sides of my head.

"Uh, obviously it is not pleasant, so if someone would please at least blurt it out, I'll deal with my feelings on it later."  
There was another long silence before one of the men of the royal court was voted to tell me the bad news.

"Um, your highness, in order to form the alliance, you must first agree to marrying the King's son, Prince Kazuto."

* * *

"Princess Suzuka, are you sure you're going to do this?" one of my ladies in waiting asked while carefully helping the other servants pack my things. I stared at myself in the mirror as a few stylists continued to put on my make up and style my hair so I'd look 'presentable' when I arrived at the Okami Island to meet my fiancé.

"I'm positive. Once I marry Prince Kazuto, the heir, the conditions in order to form the alliance will be complete. Once we are joined in marriage, we will be a symbol of a new bond between the Kohitsuji kingdom and the Okami kingdom. With our kingdoms combined, we will be successful in war."

_This is nothing. For almost 21 years, I've lived in this castle and learned all I needed to know in order to become the next Queen, but I haven't done anything for my kingdom quite yet. Marrying this Prince for the sake of our kingdom is the least I could do. Perhaps after the war, I'll be able to make many more actions to help keep the peaceful balance. Right now, I'm going to do whatever it takes to be useful. _

"I have to do whatever I can to protect the kingdom as the Kohitsuji-hime. This is a life-changing task, but it is an agreeable condition."

"Kohitsuji-hime... you're so considerate of your subjects."  
I laughed, "Why wouldn't I be? The people of the Kohitsuji Kingdom are wonderful and kind. It is a mutual respect."  
_The Tigers are both the Okami and Kohitsuji's enemies in this upcoming war. We will surely die without the Okami's help. The Okami may have very skilled soldiers, but from history, they lack effective battle strategies. The Kohijutsi have very intelligent commanders in battle with effective battle strategies, but they're all to kind-hearted and usually refuse to fight._

_Both sides need help, or both kingdoms will end in ruins.._

And I definitely cannot allow something like that as long as I'm the Princess with a chance to unite the kingdoms.

"Come, your highness, so we can put you in your new dress."

* * *

I sucked in a breath with difficulty as my corset was tightened. I'd only worn a few of these formal typed dresses, but I still needed time getting used to them. But now, I could barely breathe! My diet is limited to healthier foods that I dislike in order to maintain my health and weight, but usually to fit into dresses like this when I needed to.

"Kohitsuji-hime, if you would turn this way of a second.."

I slowly turned in my painful heels so I was facing the mirror.

_Oh my..._

I watched myself sigh as I scanned my appearance. The dress was beautiful - the fabric a soft, creamy white and the crinoline underneath making the dress wide, extending from my hips. The third layer was made of frilly chiffon that flowed like rivers over the dress. A big lace ribbon was tied around my midsection and secured into a bow at my back as an added touch.

The sleeves extended from the very tips of my shoulders to my wrists. I had a disagreement with the person who picked out my dress because she thought I should wear something a bit more revealing , but I was too embarrassed at what she came up with and ended up just showing most of my shoulders and a little bit of skin under my collar bone.

_I don't think I should try being sexy on my first impression._..

"Your highness looks beautiful..!"

"Wonderful!"

"It suits you!"

Fighting back an annoying desire to scratch all over from the strange fabric used underneath my dress, I forced a smile.

_This dress is so itchy, how in the world am I going to survive in it for the whole day?!_

Because the Wolf Kingdom rests on an Island, we have to travel by ship and cross the sea to meet the Prince and the King, but the journey will take a while, and our meeting with the Prince will also take a while, and then we'll have to ride back..

_Oh no, I'm going to be exhausted and uncomfortable for almost 12 hours._

"Your highness? Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all." I shook my head. Looks like my smile wasn't convincing.

"Well, we are finished with your dress. Do you have any requests on what to do with your hair?"

_My hair.._

I stared at the shining sandy-ish blonde curls that had only been cut at the split ends since I was a child. It had been washed and neatly brushed and kept shining until this day. When I was 18, it had grown too long and almost passed my knees, so it was cut then and kept just passed my waist. When I was to leave the palace, my hair was always pulled into an up do or wrapped up in some kind of bonnet/tiara, so it was rarely shown how long it was.

_I wish I could wear my hair down sometime...I wonder if I'd look prettier that way.._

"Actually, I would love for you to surprise me." I lied.

"Really? Then, we'll do our best!"  
"We went shopping for hair accessories for your highness recently and we're excited for you to wear them!"

"Is that so? Thank you, I would like to see them."

"Yes."

In the end, my hair was pulled into a bun and covered with a white bonnet that my ears had to be pulled back into.

The maids and stylists took a step back to look at me.

I glanced at them as their eyes lit up in excitement.

"Waaah! Amazing!"

"Princess Suzuka looks beautiful!"  
"As expected, she looks good in everything."  
"You guys.." I felt myself turning red and clasped my hands behind my back as I glanced away, smiling.

"Prince Kazuto will be stunned!"

"He will!"

_I'm not sure... I've heard the wolves don't like how we dress... _

I've seen how the female wolves dressed - and it was exquisite and seemed to bring out natural beauty. Usually, the girls wore long loin cloths made of soft fabric that was obviously easy to move in. Either loin cloths or flowing hem skirts.

It's usually very hot there, so for tops, the women wear tops long enough to cover their chests and just leave their stomachs showing. The small shirts they wear are basically fabrics pulled across their chests like bikinis.

The Wolves found a cave filled of jewels long ago, and the women usually decorate their selves with them to add on to their outfits. They wear necklaces, bracelets, ankle bracelets, rings, and sometimes they even clip the jewels onto their ears.

The females are so attractive and gorgeous that I'm sure I wouldn't look good compared to them. They place exotic flowers I've never known to exist in their hair and keep it flowing down their backs in vibrant colors. And you wouldn't believe how beautiful their eyes are. They're usually the same color as the jewels they tend to wear.

_Hmm.. I wish I could dress like them... I'd be able to move so freely. And wearing those beautiful jewels would be nice..._

* * *

A short while after I was ready, I was on the ship with all of the soldiers and I was watching the peaceful kingdom of the Kohitsuji people getting smaller.

_I hope I'll get to keep their home peaceful forever.. I'll definitely do everything I can, everyone. So, just wait for a while, and you can all cease your worrying about the war._

I'd been so focused on how I was finally able to do something for my kingdom that I hadn't even thought about the fact that I was about to meet someone I'd be spending the rest of my life with after such a short time. I wasn't well informed on the Wolf kingdom's rulers, to tell the truth.

I wasn't sure how old the King was, but he must be somewhere in his 50s if he's ready to give his throne to his son. Come to think of it, I'm not sure how old the Prince is, either.

_It's even possible he could be a child, still.. or ten years older than me.. I guess a 10 year difference wouldn't be that bad, either.._

Hmm... usually I worry a lot about things like this, maybe wanting to help so much is getting in the way of that. That's fine, too, I guess. As long as I don't feel like backing out of it for my own selfish reasons..

My parents were lucky enough to have met each other even before their parents had decided it was time for them to marry.

My Uncle says they fell in love at first sight, but they were both too shy to admit it, but it took time, and once they confessed, a wedding followed soon after.

_It would be great if I fell in love before I got married, too._

Well... I haven't met my fiancé yet, maybe he's not that bad of a guy.

"Princess Suzuka!"

A voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned away from my longing look out at the sea and walked across the deck of the ship when the Captain waved me over. He handed me a pair of binoculars and pointed out at something that looked like a minuscule lump of white sand in the distance.

I took the binoculars and pulled them up to my face.

It was the Okami Island.

}{

"Hey, Kazuto, are you actually going to do this whole marriage thing?" Kirihiko asked as he launched himself into a tree with his eye on a small bird for a snack. As he quickly and quietly pulled himself up the tree using the long, thick branches for his meal, his ruby red eyes flashed with mischief. He carefully moved his long black tail so it wouldn't brush up against the tree and make sudden noises.

Kazuto, the Okami Prince, rested his back onto the same tree and sighed as he watched a happy family having a picnic. His gentle bronze eyes watched the family admiringly as they lay down together. The father wrapped his arms around his wife and his 4 pups and Kazuto watched the kids giggle.

The mother would smile softly, pure happiness in her eyes as she slowly stroked one of her pups' ears. The father would tell a joke and the family would laugh, and eventually, the kids settled down in their father and mother's arms and fell asleep.

"Of course I'm going through with this." Kazuto said, smiling softly.

Kirihiko was in arm's reach of the bird when a branch he'd been leaning on broke under him and sent him back to his starting point on the ground. As he crashed and landed on his back, he watched the startled bird fly away until it was too far to see.

Thinking back to what Kazuto had said, Kirihiko reacted late, frowning as he turned to look at his friend next to him.

"I'm confused."

Kazuto never took his eyes off of the family, "Oh. Really?"  
"You hate it when your father makes decisions for you. Why aren't you against this? You're going to marry someone you don't know. You _agreed _to it."

"Would you like me to explain, then, Kirihiko?"

"Yeah, I'd like you to explain, because I could have sworn last week when your father brought this up, we were sitting in this exact spot eating apples and talking about how dumb and unfair arranged marriages were. And then you disappeared for a whole day, and then came back all calm and collected after being so angry. And then you walked right up to your father and said 'I'll marry her.'"

Kazuto laughed once, "It's simple, actually. I left that one day to have time to myself to think about my answer, and I realized what it was."

"Well?"

Kazuto pointed to the family he'd been looking at for the passed 5 minutes.

"You see them?"

Kirihiko twisted around on the ground so he was lying on his stomach, his head propped up on an elbow and his legs swinging behind him.

"Yeah. You've been staring at them for awhile. Pretty creepy, Kazuto. What about them?"  
Kazuto smiled, "I've never had a family like that, Kirhiko."

Kazuto's mother had had a hard time giving birth to 5 children, and because of her lack of energy and her body not being able to hold on long enough to be treated after birth, she passed away giving birth to Kazuto and his other siblings.

His father, the King, had a hard time with accepting one of the only things in his world that he expected to spend the rest of his life with had gone, and turned into a colder man than before he'd met his wife.

He left the parenting to his maids as his children grew up. His talks with his daughters and sons were short and only involved what they'd achieved that current week and what they were aiming for after reaching that goal. And they were to listen to their father when he made decisions _for _them.

And most of "their" goals were actually their father's. Any objections to his decisions ended in horrible punishments.

Kazuto's eldest brother Kirio had been stripped of his title as the next King and was currently living in exile. He had supposedly led his army into a trap from trying to ambush a small army of Tigers, but all of his men had ended up being ambushed themselves. Their were over 500 men that had been killed, only following orders from a commander that hadn't thought his plans through enough. Because of this, the army had grown smaller.

The Tigers snatched the valuable weapons needed in battle from the dead bodies and took them back to their Kingdom.

The King's orders to Kirio were to not be tempted by the jewels and weaponry the Tigers possessed, but Kirio disobeyed, convinced his men were smart enough to surprise the Tigers and hold them at gunpoint, hopefully long enough to take what they needed to be more advanced during the upcoming war.

Kazuto hadn't seen Kirio in almost 5 years.

Kirika, Kirio's twin sister, was often misunderstood. You could say she was the only girl in the castle since Rika never spoke and rarely made her presence known. When Kirika was younger, she used to get very emotional and even cry in front of an entire court when being scolded by her father, but as she grew up, she realized her father didn't care that she was a girl.

She cut her long, beautiful hair and hardened her heart a bit, and began to act tougher and more like a boy.

But then, one day, Kirkia fell in love with a tiger.

Of course, no one on the entire Okami Island could understand what in the world she was thinking, but Kirika was in love, and she claimed she couldn't do anything about it but follow her heart.( Kazuto sometimes wondered if Rika understood her at all.) The tiger apparently, had fallen in love with Kirika as well and before they knew it, Kirika had disappeared for several weeks and came back with a ring on her finger.

She showed her face again in the castle.

She told her father that if he didn't except that she was in love and married to a tiger, even one of lower class that vowed to leave his country and live in peace with her in the kingdom if allowed, she would never set foot on Wolf territory again.

Her father couldn't accept her marriage and told her she was no longer his daughter.

Kazuto hadn't seen Kirika in 3 years.

Kazuto's younger sister Rika had already been married off to another Prince from a Kingdom Kazuto hadn't ever heard of before. Rika had grown up very quiet and rarely spoke to anyone, so her relationship with her family was just as broken.

Still, being his sister, Kazuto still loved her and missed her and worried about her...

He'd been there for her when he found her hiding and crying alone, and for that, Rika would sometimes write to him since he'd shown he wanted to actually be her family.

And finally, Yuki, the youngest in the family, used to be the most cheerful person in the whole kingdom, Kazuto was sure.

Until one day, his kindness got the better of him and a thief robbed his carriage while he was being distracted by a crying child he thought he had hit. Yuki had been sent to give a painting to his fiancé as a gift. The painting had been passed down in the Royal family for generations, but it had been stolen that day.

No matter how hard they looked, they couldn't find the thief, or the painting.

Enraged, the King punished Yuki, but not too severely. But no matter how much Yuki showed he was truly sorry about letting his kindness get the better of him, his father wouldn't listen.

Yuki had changed after that. He became a cold person, just like his father.

Kazuto hadn't seen his younger brother smile in 2 years, nor had he spoken to him. They became strangers living in the same home.

And then, one day, the King decided that Kazuto, being the best child he had left, was going to be the heir to his throne.

Yuki became cold to Kazuto after hearing this.

Kazuto wondered if he should have been happy, however, because, in those 2 years he hadn't spoken to his brother, he hadn't even made eye contact with him, but after hearing that his brother was going to be the next King, Yuki began to acknowledge his existence by giving him cold glares or dirty looks.

Kazuto's next goal in life was to hurry and become the next King so he could set things right with his brothers and sisters. He hoped he could build a brighter future by stepping out of the darkness he'd grown up around, so to others, it was a wonder he could be the happiest and most cheerful around the people in the kingdom.

"And... those pups have a great father." Kazuto continued, "I couldn't understand it at first since I was young and didn't know what my father's job was supposed to be, but the father's job is to protect his family."

Kirihiko sat up completely, glancing at his friend solemnly. "Right."  
"You see that man? He'll do anything for his family. And not just him, but every Papa wolf living on this island. If it was to protect his family, I'm sure a single man would battle against an entire army by himself, even though it may sound difficult and hard to understand why he'd do such a thing."

Kirihiko's eyes wandered over to the man that was wide awake, watching the sky with a peaceful expression on is face as his family fell asleep in his arms.

"But... I'm the Prince, and when I am crowned King, I'm going to have the power to do anything the fathers are not able to do. I can command an army for them while they protect their families. I can marry a Princess and our unity will be a symbol. Our Kingdoms will unite and we can protect anything we want. And not just the Okami, but the Kohitsuji's father's, too. "

Kirihiko watched his friend as he spoke. He couldn't believe the mischievous boy he'd grown up with since pre-school had already turned into such a kind hearted person. He knew Kazuto would be a King soon, and when he was younger, he used to wonder if the Kingdom would spiral into an abyss of chaos being ruled by him, but now, he was positive only good things would happen with him as the new King.

Kirihiko stood up and stretched, smiling as he held out a hand to help Kazuto to his feet.

"Ah, I see! Now I understand! Makes sense now, I guess."

"Good." Kazuto took his hand and stood.

"Well, now that you've explained, you better hurry up and get yourself ready so the Kohitsuji-hime won't have a heart attack from seeing that her future husband dresses like a peasant."  
Kazuto pouted and his tall black ears perked up, "Hey, I don't dress like a peasant! Can't you see what I'm wearing? Look at _you_!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, let's get going!"

"Right."

But of course, no one was aware that when the two came face to face, their meeting would not be how they expected.


	2. Chapter 2

"So... So that's it, right?" I asked the Captain for the hundredth time, swallowing with difficulty.

The Captain stared at me silently, probably tired of answering that question.

"It's pretty normal to get nervous, your highness," he put a gentle hand on my shoulder. I flattened my ears against my head, pulling the spyglass back up to stare at the tropical island ahead.

_We've finally arrived... I'm really going to meet him.._

Thinking too hard about it made me even more nervous..

"I...I'm not nervous." I stammered, giving it away. The Captain threw his head back in laughter and walked over to the wheel. My heart hammered in my chest as I took the spyglass from my face, taking a shaky deep breath.

"I'm not nervous," I said again, "There's nothing to be afraid of, after all."

* * *

"So pretty!" I glanced up at the palm trees as the guide led us down the path in between a forest of trees. It was very beautiful here, and a bit hot, as I'd expected. My dress was now getting in the way.

We don't have any beaches in the Kohitsuji kingdom, so I've never felt sand before. The crystal white sand beneath me was soft and silky, but my heels continuously sank into it, making me pull them out with each step.

"We have to follow this path because the Okami have not been informed yet that their Prince will be joining your kingdoms together. It's safe to stay well hidden before the announcement, or they'll get the wrong idea."  
_S-safe? Wrong idea..?_

I gulped. I had no idea what the Okami were capable of... from my studies, I knew they were very skilled fighters, but... they're also very territorial. If they were to see a Kohitsuji on their island, I probably would be used for food...

"Not to worry." said one of the Kohitsuji palace guards that surrounded me as we walked.

"We swear we will protect you."  
"Ah, there's no need for that," the woman guiding us sighed, putting her hands on her hips as they swayed when she took a step, "This path is _very _well hidden. No one's ever come here before except the Okami Castle's maids and servants."

Even as I heard that, I felt uneasy.

"Uh.. um... how much longer until we get to the castle?" I asked, stumbling a little down the path. My eyes wandered down to the woman's bare feet. It looked pretty easy to walk in the sand that way.

"Do your feet hurt, your highness?" The guards stopped walking at once, one of them catching me as I wobbled off balance.

"Uh.. just a bit. It's alright."

"Would you like me to carry you?"

"No, I'll do it!"

"I'm the strongest!"

"What are you talking about? You trip over your own feet! You'll never be able to carry her properly."

The guards argued over who should carry me.

I caught our guide's eye. She was glancing at us from over her shoulder, her eyes rolling as she looked me up and down in disgust.

"Can we go please? You guys already arrived late."  
The guards discontinued their arguments and circled me protectively again.

"You know, you won't need any heels. You don't have to be so dressed up , It's obvious you're uncomfortable." she sighed.

I thought for a moment and bent down to pull off my heels, finally feeling the sand in between my toes, sinking down to mold itself under the balls of my feet. Sighing in content as I was able to walk more comfortably, I pulled my shoes into one hand.

"That dress you're wearing looks like a pain, too."

"It does...?" I looked down at my unattractive dress, "I.. I mean, yes, it is."

It was hot and itchy and heavy, and all that annoying stuff...

"We have maids assigned to you in the palace. Better hope they're in your room before you meet his highness so they'll give you a new outfit."  
I stopped to pick up the hem of my dress, frowning, "A new outfit..? But... I was going to wear _this _when we met each other..."  
"You're not serious!" she turned around, her waist length black hair flipping over her shoulder. Her frost blue eyes were wide in shock before her lips curled into a smile.

I flushed, "What do you mean? Of course I'm going to wear this... what's wrong with it?" I looked down at myself again.

"It's so... _proper..._I guess... you just look so uptight... why not wear something a bit more freely? The male Okami love their women sexy, you know.."  
"Sexy...?"

"Right. You'd look good in diamonds... or maybe tulips.."_  
_

"Tulips.." I smiled. "Those are my favorite!"

"They'd look so pretty in your hair. I know someone who could weave them into your braids!"

"Ah, I see!"

"Your highness, we must hurry to the Okami Palace."  
"Right!"

* * *

Kazuto glanced at the empty throne next to him. Soon, that empty spot would be filled.

He had answered Kirihito and told him he hadn't been nervous all this time, but he couldn't help the drops of sweat that ran down his forehead. He was more than nervous.

What if the Kohitsuji princess was cruel? What would he do if their relationship didn't work out?

_Ah, that doesn't matter. As long as our kingdoms are safe and in alliance, we don't have to be the perfect couple. It's not expected, anyway._

Though he thought this way, Kazuto couldn't help but feel his stomach twist while his stomach was attacked by butterflies.

He knew this marriage was for the alliance, but he was still a man, after all, and had his own dream of having a family in the future. He wanted a kind woman to be his mate and bear their children..

But with an arranged marriage with someone he had never met, Kazuto knew that dream wasn't going to work out the way he wanted.

_I still haven't met her yet. I shouldn't think so negative.._

As the minutes dragged on until they piled up into a full hour, Kazuto began to feel a bit uneasy at how late she was being.

_Maybe she's one of those spoiled princesses who thinks meetings like this don't matter so she's taking her time... _

"Hey, Kazuto."

Kirihito stepped forward at Kazuto's side and leaned down to whisper next to him.

"She's awfully late, don't you think?"

Kazuto began to tap his foot a bit, resting his chin in his hand and feeling like he was going to start panicking.

_I don't think I can do this... wait, what am I thinking? Of course I can do this.._

"Kazuto...? Kazuto!"

Kazuto snapped out of his thoughts to look over at his best friend in surprise, "What?"

"Calm down. You're not having second thoughts, are you? It'll be pretty messed up to tell the Kohitsuji-hime to turn back and go home before you've even met her."  
"No, I'm not having second thoughts, Kirihito... just a bit nervous."

"Hey, why don't we go get her? Maybe her guide forgot the way back to the palace through the secret path."

"No, Lina never forgets. His majesty had her study it several times so she wouldn't get the princess lost or anything. It's fine, I can wait."

"Are you sure? You look like you just want to see her already. Or is it the opposite?"

"I just want to know what she's like right away... her first impression... ugh.."  
"Don't dress over it, Kazuto. Everything's going to work out fine. Kohitsuji couldn't be evil even if they wanted to."  
Kazuto gave a small laugh at this. "I guess you're right. I'll just be patient..."

Just then, a maid walked in and bowed deeply at the foot of Kazuto's throne.

"Your highness. There are concubines that have just arrived, prepared for you. Would you like me to take them to your room?"

Kazuto frowned while Kirihito stared at him in shock.

"Uh... right before your marriage meeting, Kazuto? I'm a bit surprised..."

"Idiot! Don't get the wrong idea!" Kazuto glared at him and turned to look back at the maid. "I didn't ask for any concubines. Has there been a mix up of some kind, I wonder?"

The maid looked confused, "But his majesty asked me to find you concubines before your meeting..."

_Ahhh, father, this is inappropriate... Thank goodness the Kohitsuji-hime isn't here to hear this._

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to send them back home. I'm going to be married soon, there's no need for a concubine."

"His majesty asked for them so they'll be present in case the Kohitsuji princess cannot conceive or you have no intention of mating with her..."  
"Please send them back."

"I can't send them back right away, his majesty has also assigned for them to be dancers this evening during the meeting."

"Very well. Keep them here but take them home after the meeting."

* * *

I stared up at the tall palace before me, tilting my head back to gaze at the very top.

The one named Lina, who was our guide, grabbed my hand and gently pulled me toward the door.

"C'mon, your highness, you're already late. Your ladies in waiting are in your room."

"Right.." I followed Lina inside the palace building, admiring the marble floors and giant, tall white walls around us. Sunlight poured in through the windows on each wall, lighting up the palace.

We came to a stop in front of wide double doors decorated with jewels, unlike the others. This door was also very tall and colored differently than the others on this floor.

Lina pushed them open and I gasped at the sight of my lovely room. A queen sized bed sat in the middle of the humungous room lit up with the perfect amount of light. The curtains swayed with the wind that pushed through the windows, creating a soft breeze.

My room was fully furnished - dressers, mirrors, tables, chairs, and all...

Standing in the center of the room were several women wearing the same dresses - uniforms.

They bowed at the sight of me, but giggled at what I was wearing.

"It is an honor to assist you, your highness." They all said at once.

I curtseyed back, giving them a nod and replying "Hello" in a small voice.

"Allow us to make you more presentable to the Prince."

**\/**

The ladies in waiting moved quickly. I was placed in a bath, scrubbed thoroughly, and quickly dressed up and groomed. It was completely different from how it was at home, where my maids and I used to speak to each other. Everything was rushed, but maybe it was just because of how late I was to my own marriage meeting.

My body was rubbed down with fragrant oils while my nails were painted at the same time. My hair was taken out of it's bun and now hung down my back in curls, decorated with flowers I'd never seen before woven into the strands.

My lips were covered with some sort of lipstick and I carefully stepped into the long loincloth made of a soft white fabric with strings of blue gems at the waist. I blushed as they placed a white fabric over my breasts in a sort of bikini like fashion.

Then came the jewelry.

I wore multiple ankle bracelets made of diamond fragments, and the same with my bracelets and necklace. A tiara made of heavy jewels rest atop my head, their weight pressing on me as I walked.

It was a tall and flashy tiara that would catch attention easily... All of my tiaras at home were tiny, but noticeable. This one practically screamed that I was a princess.

"There, you are all ready for your meeting now, your highness."

"Good! That was going to be another hour!" Lina appeared out of nowhere and quickly pulled me away from the maids and out the door.

"Sorry, but I have to go discuss something with his majesty now. I can't take you to the throne room, but it's two hallways down, then a right, and then the 4th door on the left... I think."  
Before I could ask Lina about her difficult directions, she was already rushing down the hallway opposite the one she'd shown me to go to and was turning the corner.

I nervously looked down at myself.

_I wonder if I look ridiculous... oh, how am I supposed to get to the throne room with those terrible directions...?!_

"Did she say a left and then a right...? Or the 4th hallway and the left door on the second hallway...?"

Horribly confused, I continued down random paths until I was lost...

"Ah! There you are!"

I turned around, glad to hear another voice to ask directions, but the woman I'd turned to was already pulling me down the hallway.

"We were worried sick! Who knew you'd gotten lost?"

"Umm... what..?" I noticed her outfit was slightly similar to mine.

"They just can't keep up with concubines these days, huh? How rude of them to ask us to dance as well but not lead you to the right place to practice? Oh well, you remember the steps, right? The meeting is going to begin soon and we're on in five."  
"Wait, what? I'm not..."

"...It's very rare we see Kohitsuji concubines. Hope you don't feel awkward surrounded by wolves."  
I gulped, "Wolves...?"

_Oh no... I can't let anyone know who I am outside the meeting because few people know about the marriage yet... For now, I have to keep my mouth shut!_


End file.
